Synthesis of functionalized benzocycloheptene analogs

The benzocycloheptene core is structurally important motif that appears within a wide array of natural products, and benzocycloheptene has recently been demonstrated to undergo [3+2] photo-sensitized cycloaddition reactions. Thus, there is a need for efficient synthetic protocols to access this motif. Herein, we provide efficient strategies to achieve highly functionalized benzocycloheptene derivatives starting from commercially available 1-benzosuberone and 1-tetralone. We anticipate that these benzocycloheptene compounds will serve as excellent precursors for a diverse array of chemical reactions.